The invention generally relates to cable, chain or wire stoppers. More particularly, the invention relates to a device on board a vessel for stopping and retaining either a link in a chain or a clamp on a wire, where the chain or wire is intended to extend stretched between the vessel and, e.g., an anchor, an offshore platform or another vessel.
A device of the type introduced above is known from, for example, Danish Patent No. 260004. A somewhat more comprehensive variant of this known device is apparent from Norwegian Patent No. 152641.
Recently, however, a need has arisen for stopping and retaining devices capable of handling chain or wire having a diameter in the range of up to about 170 mm. The same stoppers must also be utilizable for chain or wire of a dimension down to about 50 mm. For this to be possible, such a device must not have too large a diameter, as a chain of small dimensions would otherwise risk being drawn down into the guide tube conduit of the stopping device. It is thus important that the distance between the teeth of the grip and stop fork be correctly gauged, and that the depth of the opening between the teeth be great enough to allow space for a chain having a diameter of 170 mm, and also that there be sufficient space for a locking bolt at the free end of the fork teeth.
In one respect, the present invention is a device for stopping and retaining a clamp on a wire. The device is mounted above a surface, which is preferably a deck of a vessel. The device comprises a fork that can engage with the clamp. The fork has a pair of teeth defining an opening therebetween, and the opening has a bottom. The fork has a first effective locking height defined between the bottom and the surface and height intended for retaining a wire lying within a first size range. The fork also has a second effective locking height defined above the surface and intended for retaining a wire lying within a second size range which is smaller than said first size range. The second locking height is greater than the first locking height, relative to the surface. The fork includes at least one guide member for mounting and securing an insert, preferably U-shaped, in the opening between the fork teeth, said insert having a bottom defining said second locking height. Optionally, the fork teeth have holes through which a locking bolt can be inserted. Preferably, the clamp comprises one or more wedges secured to the wire, such as a wedge having a vertical profile in the shape of a triangle or a wedge having a vertical profile in the shape of rectangular steps.
Certain embodiments of the invention are capable of stopping and retaining wire having a diameter in multiple size ranges, with a single device. These and other advantages and benefits of the invention will be apparent upon reading the below detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the enclosed drawings.